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God Pop on the Charts: Early 70s

The early 1970s I remember to be a particularly fertile time for catchy radio pop that preached the Good Word. Researchers at Zero to 180 initially pegged Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” – a compelling mash-up of gospel and psychedelic rock that moved 2 million copies in 1969 & 1970 – as a catalyst for much of the “God Pop” that followed. Further examination, however, revealed popular culture to be reflecting a broader hunger for spiritual and religious guidance in a time of great social tumult.

1969, for instance, saw the release of The 5th Dimension’s worldwide hit, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” which foretold of an imminent age of love, harmony, and understanding. 1969 would also see The Byrds’ country rock version of “Jesus Is Just Alright” – the A-side of a Columbia 45 – barely manage to squeak into the US Top 100.

In the early 1970s there was no escaping the “rock opera” Jesus Christ Superstar – 1971’s #1 album that also produced two Top 30 radio hits: “Superstar” by Murray Head with the Trinidad Singers, and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” by Yvonne Ellman. According to the Rhino 70s Box Set, “Superstar” stayed on the charts for 31 weeks, “longer than any other single since Chubby Checker’s early 60s smash, ‘The Twist.'”

Nipping at the heels of Jesus Christ Superstar was Godspell, the musical based on the Gospel of Matthew that yielded an original cast album on Bell, with the single “Day by Day” spending 14 weeks on the charts (peaking at #13 in 1972).

Against the backdrop of Superstar and Godspell a surprising number of religious-themed songs would appear on pop & rock radio in the early 70s:

While not strictly God Pop, “Judas to the Love We Knew” by Spiral Starecase nevertheless deserves special attention for its curious use of a charged biblical reference for the song’s lyrical hook:

“Judas to the Love We Knew” Spiral Starecase 1969

I’d have to agree with the legal team at Mclane & Wong, who observe that “the last Spiral Starecase single, “She’s Ready,” kept the name alive by also reaching the charts (Billboard #72); but sadly, Columbia did not focus on the incredibly hit-worthy Pat Upton original on the flip side – ‘Judas To The Love We Knew’ – which equals or surpasses ‘More Today Than Yesterday’ [their 1969 million-selling hit] in hooks and vocal performance.”